Manual:Professional Development:Types of Communication

Communication
Communication is defined as “the transfer of ideas and information in a mutually comprehensible format be-tween two or more persons or groups”. As with many organizations today there are more sources of information and lines of communication than ever before; e-mail, instant messenger, the web are just a few. Due to the ubiquitous nature of these advancements, it is now easier than ever to share information between individuals, leading to once unimagined opportunities for collaboration and achievement of common goals. How-ever with these new opportunities and ease of communication also come some new challenges. Even though communication has become almost instantaneous and able to push large amounts of data around, the chances of creating misunderstanding have increased as well as the potential for creating embarrassing situations.

In order to alleviate the possibility of misunderstanding or the creation of embarrassing situations, you must have clear and effective communication skills. So not only do you have to look and act like a professional, but you must also communicate like one too.

Types of Communication
Any communication in which the other person(s) understands the idea or information you are trying to impart, without confusion, error, or misinterpretation can be considered effective. If for some reason they do not un-derstand what you mean, they only understand a part of what you communicated, or they just have the whole thing wrong, then your communication was ineffective. Communicating effectively is obviously the best choice. But to communicate effectively you need to choose the right form of communication for your message.

Most forms of communication can be separated into two broad categories, verbal and non-verbal. The four most common forms of communications are listed below along with a brief description of each. Each format of course has its’ own advantages and disadvantages. This is an important point to consider when selecting the method, you will use to communicate your ideas with someone. 

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Non-Verbal Formats

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'''Traditional (Paper) Correspondence''' =====
 * style="background-color:#efefef; font-weight:normal;" | Since the first written alphabet humankind has used the written word to transfer information. Even in today’s fast paced world where e-mails and instant mes-saging are common, traditional correspondence is still used. While it may not be as efficient as sending an e-mail traditional correspondence does have several advantages. One of which is that it can be accomplished without the need for electricity, all that you need is some paper and a pen. Another is that there are several delivery options to choose from that will give you the sender definitive proof that the letter was received; certified mail, signature proof, etc... For that reason traditional correspondence continues to be the preferred method to con-duct legal and formal business on a personal, business and governmental level.

But as with any form of correspondence there are disadvantages. Depending on the situation electronic correspondence could be cheaper than traditional correspondence. Delivery of traditional correspondence will never be as fast as elec-tronic forms; e-mail travels at the speed of light along millions of miles of wire, while traditional correspondence can only travel as fast a truck or plane can travel
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'''Electronic Mail (E-Mail)''' =====
 * style="background-color:#efefef; font-weight:normal;" | Electronic mail, or “e-mail”, predates the Internet, but its current form as we know it today has only been around for the past decade or so and widespread access to e-mail has only occurred in the last few years. This corresponds to increases in reliability coupled with decreased costs for equipment and access. Combine widespread access with the fact that e-mail has almost instantaneous delivery you have an environment where e-mail is rapidly becoming the non-verbal format of choice for many.

E-mail tends to be less formal than traditional mail resembling more of a hybrid between letters and a phone conversation. While this form is better suited for those individuals who don’t have the patience or skills to write a traditional letter, or who just need to get one or two points across, it does not suit in-depth discussions well.

E-mail provides many advantages over traditional correspondence. As mentioned above e-mail has almost instantaneous delivery. Of course, there might be disruptions here and there which will increase delivery time, but in the end the e-mail message will still get to the recipient faster than had it been sent via traditional mail.

This speed allows for information and ideas to be communicated much faster than if sent via traditional mail. Cost is also an advantage. On Average it will cost less to send an e-mail than to send traditional correspondence.

Of course, as with any form of communication there are disadvantages. One is that because of the speed at which e-mail is delivered and received there is a sense of urgency imparted on the recipient. This leads to the feeling that there must be an immediate response. As a result, e-mails then to be emotionally charged and not well thought out. Another disadvantage is that e-mail can only be sent to people who have access to it. Then there is possibility of e-mail be-ing addressed incorrectly. If you do not have the right address, you could create an embarrassing situation. So, it is imperative that you check the addresses that you are sending the e-mail to before you send it.

The greatest disadvantage to e-mail is the lack of privacy. Any correspondence that is sent through the US Postal System is protected by Federal Laws, which prohibit tampering with mail pieces except under court order. It is relatively easy for someone to tell when mail has been tampered with, and there are established procedures to investigate incidents of fraud. E-mail on the other hand, becomes the property of every individual through whose system the mail passes (Internet e-mail is delivered from your computer to the recipient’s machine by being routed through many intermediate machines). Any of them have the legal right to look at the message. To counter this several encryption technologies have been developed in the last couple of years. These encryption systems al-low for private communication between parties and only the intended recipients can read the message.

Overall e-mail is the best format to use for messages, which are time sensitive where privacy is not a great concern or for correspondence that does not re-quire a legal or formal format.


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'''Instant Messaging (IM)''' =====
 * style="font-weight:normal;" | This type of communication has been around over 20 years now. It combines the ease of e-mail with the speed of a telephone call. Allowing you to communi-cate via text in real time. Usually there is no record of a conversation, but most programs allow for the whole conversation to be logged and saved for later use.

Currently the biggest disadvantage is that not all IM programs can talk to each other. Different companies have different protocols, and they are not compatible with one another.

Please see A Word on Blogging, Chatting & IM in Section 7 for more information.
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Blog

 * style="font-weight:normal;" | Please see A Word on Blogging, Chatting & IM in Section 7 for more information. This is a recent newcomer to the Internet. A blog essentially is a public diary. Many people have used this format to talk about their lives & to disseminate information.

The biggest disadvantage with this form of written communication is that it is public. Anyone on the internet will be able to find & read a blog that have set up.

Please see A Word on Blogging, Chatting & IM in Section 7 for more information. 
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Verbal Formats

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Telephones

 * style="background-color:#efefef; font-weight:normal;" | Of the verbal formats the telephone is the easiest to use. Using the telephone, you can communicate to almost anyone, almost anywhere on the planet. Telephones allow you to discuss information without any delay in response. Subtle information can be given through audible cues like your tone of voice, inflection, speech pattern and pauses in the flow of conversation. Verbal communication may reduce the amount of misunderstanding that may occur in a written letter. It is more personal and direct, although it can certainly be formal or informal, depending on who’s talking to whom about what.

The two biggest disadvantages to the telephone are cost and the inability to show visual information like pictures. While the price of making a telephone call has decreased dramatically in the last couple of years it is still expensive to make them and if you make many calls the costs add up.

Also be aware that international calls tend to be more expensive that state-to-state calls and that the rates per minute vary depending on which country you are calling. Also in the last few years telephone companies have introduced local long distance. What this means is that you may be calling your friend not a mile down the road and be charged as if you made a long distance phone call. You need to be aware of the limits of your local number otherwise you might be in for a nasty surprise at the end of the month when you get your phone bill.

Not being able to show someone a picture may not be a big problem most of the time, but it is difficult to describe some things accurately without a drawing, picture or diagram something that non-verbal formats are excellent for.

However, if you need to get complex or sensitive information across, the phone makes a convenient and relatively inexpensive method of doing it.


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Face to Face

 * style="background-color:#efefef; font-weight:normal;" | Personal communication is the fastest method of transferring information as it allows you to use body language, audible and visual cues to help the other per-son understand. It is best for subtle or complex ideas and allows you to demonstrate a procedure or show an item or picture directly to the viewer as you explain. The disadvantage to personal interactions may not be so obvious, but they exist. Some people are nervous or intimidated when dealing directly with others. Emotions, fatigue and background activity can all distract or distort your message. Finally, and most obviously, you have to physically meet with someone to interact personally. That limits who and when you can meet and could cost a great deal of money to arrange.


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